U.S.N.T.C

San Diego, Calif.

February 7, 1946

Dear Mom and Pap:

I’m sorry that I didn’t write sooner but I was waiting to hear from you to make sure you knew my address, I’d write sooner from now on. Well I’m in my second week of school now with fourteen more to go. Some of the classes are a little dull, but typing and shorthand is pretty interesting. I type about 45 words a minute, and I’m going to try to get up to 60 by the time I finish school. I’m catching on to the shorthand pretty good but I’m still a little slow. We have a class called “Petty officer”, that’s supposed to teach us how to be good P.O. I got an 86 today, that’s not too bad. Well I guess that’s enough bragging.

Our class just got restricted for two weeks because some wise guy made a crack at the “Chief”. That means no liberty. The liberty’s not so hot anyway but it’s better than nothing. San Diego is a rotten liberty town too. All they have there is liquor stores, jewelry stores and hamburger stands. Last Saturday, four of us fellows went in to Diego and we went out in the bay in a motor launch and went aboard a small ship and had chow. The crew was pretty nice to us. They showed us around and explained everything to us. Then we went to a show and went on some amusements. That’s about the only thing you can do in Diego. Well Mom and Pap I guess I’d close now. All my love.

Alfred